Hunger for You (Shadow Shifters: Damaged Hearts) Read Online Free PDF Page B

look, and possibly touch. I don’t know, it was crazy, just as I’d thought before. Caleb wasn’t my boyfriend, and yet, I kind of felt like maybe, what if he was?
    He shrugged. “It’s a free country.”
    I didn’t know what else to say or do. Considering the fact that fifteen minutes ago I’d been thinking about not having seenhim in seven days, one would think I’d be full of conversation. But all I could think about was how well those jeans fit his legs and that shirt—even though it was a Pittsburgh Steelers shirt—looked draped over his chest.
    “Whatever,” I ended up saying again and quickly got the hell out of that aisle.
    Five minutes later I was in the automated checkout line trying to hurry up and pay for my purchases—which for the record were not everything I needed. I was stuffing things in my recyclable grocery bags and about to turn around and leave when I bumped right into a chest built like a concrete wall.
    “Need some help?” he asked.
    Oh boy, did I. I needed help keeping my raging hormones in check.
    “No. I’m fine. Thank you,” I said, my voice cracking on the last word. I swallowed hard to keep from saying anything else ridiculous, or at best not having my voice show how nervous he was making me.
    He only lifted a brow as he said, “I won’t be cliché and say that you are absolutely fine.”
    I closed my eyes, couldn’t help it, I loved his voice. I loved the way it was deep and smooth and sent tingles down my spine as if he’d actually touched me there. “No. Please don’t be cliché.”
    “But I will walk you to your car.”
    Damn, he was persistent and I wasn’t sure I could continue to attempt to ignore him, or the effect that he was having on me. “It’s okay, I can get there on my own. And it’s broad daylight so there’s no need for the extra protection.”
    He ignored my words and grasped my arm. Flashbacks flew before my eyes like a movie on rewind, hitting, crying, screaming, pain. All at once each memory slapped at me and I didn’t have time to stop the reaction, didn’t have a moment to take the deep breaths, to look at something else, to concentrate, to hold it all in.
    I screamed as if he’d smacked me, the sound echoing through the air. When my lips finally clamped shut, my teeth chattered and I looked around to see people in the market had stopped and stared. Caleb also stared, after he’d dropped my arm like it was a hissing snake.
    It was the moment I’d dreaded happening all my life, the instant that somebody, anybody might pick up on the signs and figure out that the life I’d pretended to lead was a lie. My heart hammered in my chest as everything around me, all the people gawking at me, even Caleb’s slightly confused glare, spun around me, making me dizzy, woozy, possibly about to faint. Knowing that would only prolong the embarrassment, I did thenext best thing. I got the hell out of that store before the questions could begin.
    ***
    “He hurt you, didn’t he?”
    The voice that I thought I might be falling a little bit in love with sounded angry, and just a bit cold. I continued walking until I was near my trunk, using the key to open it without daring to look at him.
    “My arm got caught in the car door,” I said with a measure of self-disgust that I’d never felt before.
    I slammed my trunk closed after putting the two bags of food I’d purchased inside. Caleb stood right in front of me looking as angry as he had eight nights ago.
    “You’re lying,” he accused, his intense glare pinning me as if that would bring the truth out.
    I was determined to stand my ground, didn’t feel like I had any other choice really. “I’m not.”
    “You are, I can smell it.”
    “What? Who smells lies?” I held up a hand to stop his response. “Forget it. I told you what happened and now I’m leaving.”
    His eyes grew darker, his brows furrowing. There was no doubt he was angry, his next words only punctuated that fact asthey were spoken